FCC allows SpaceX to deploy 7,500 second-gen Starlink satellites

The Federal Communications Commission granted permission for the deployment of 29,988 second- generation Starlink satellites in 2020. The FCC granted part of the request. The company was given the go-ahead to build, deploy and operate up to 7,500 satellites by the commission. The FCC said approving 7,500 satellites for the constellation will allow the company to provide broadband internet to users around the world.

There are concerns about space safety and the FCC is limiting the number of satellites that can be deployed by the company. The grant helps maintain a safe space environment and protects other operators from harmful interference. NASA and several other companies raised concerns about the plan to deploy an additional 30,000 satellites because the FCC already granted it permission to launch 12,000 first-gen Starlink satellites.

NASA talked about the potential impacts of an expanded constellation in a letter to the commission. It said that a lot of Starlink satellites could lead to fewer launch windows. The FCC is deferring action on the rest of the application in order to approve more deployment.

The second-gen Starlink satellites will be much larger than their predecessors and will need to be launched on the company's spaceship. One of the reasons they're bigger is that they have the ability to communicate with phones in the sky. Starlink's second-gen satellites will be important in the T-Mobile and SpaceX collaboration. Even if it is in the middle of the ocean, the companies aim to provide a clear view of the sky with their partnership.